When Church Gets Hijacked

I’ve been in the church my whole life—which means I’ve seen a lot of stuff…

Both the good and the bad, the helpful and the harmful, the wonderful and the weird.

I’ve even been in a few services that were hijacked.

Someone came with an agenda and did everything they could to control the service.

On one occasion, a man came in while my pastor was preaching, walked down the center aisle to the front of the stage, and yelled an announcement about some upcoming community spaghetti feed at another church. Then he said, “Everyone loves spaghetti here. Amen?” A few people muttered “Amen” which seemed to satisfy the man. He turned to my pastor, said “It’s all yours,” and walked out the doors.

That was weird.

One day, Jesus was teaching in the temple. A crowd gathered and listened.

Everyone’s attention was on Jesus—and then it happened…

A group of hijackers loudly interrupted.

“As he was speaking, the teachers of the religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. ‘Teacher,’ they said to Jesus, ‘this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?’” (John 8.1-5)

These guys had an agenda.

They were hoping for a good old-fashioned stoning…

And they really wanted to catch Jesus saying something they could use against him.

They hijacked the service and were turning it into some kind of circus sideshow.

The hijackers were only interested in getting what they wanted out of church.

They weren’t asking, “Jesus, how can we serve here?”

When this happens—when church gets hijacked—the only solution is to turn it back to Jesus.

What does He want? What’s on His agenda?

Jesus’ genius response to the hijackers was something like this…

“OK. Stone her. But the first stone must be thrown by the one who has never sinned.”

The hijackers went from grins and high-fives to awkward silence, and then they started shuffling out.

They left, one by one, until it was just Jesus and the woman and the church audience.

Jesus stood up, looked at the woman and said, “Where are your accusers? No one condemned you?”

“No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

So… what does Jesus want? What’s on His agenda?

Grace. Forgiveness. Restoration. Healing. Fresh Start. Clean Slate. Second Chance.

That’s what Jesus is serving up at church.

When church gets hijacked, let’s turn it back to Him.